Greek coach Georgios Donis, head coach of the Saudi national team, said the players' spirit and fighting spirit will be the Green Falcons' main weapon as they seek to win the Arabian Gulf Cup, Gulf Cup 27, when they face the United Arab Emirates in the final on Tuesday evening.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Donis said that the weapon to win the tournament is the players' spirit and their fighting spirit. He noted that the national team had put in a strong defensive performance throughout the tournament, with a focus on set pieces at both the attacking and defensive ends.
The Saudi national team enters the final after an ideal group-stage campaign, topping Group A with a perfect record following three consecutive wins over Kuwait, Oman, and Iraq. It then overcame Qatar on penalties in the semifinals after the match remained goalless in both regular and extra time, setting up a final against the UAE for the tournament title.
Donis also addressed the pressure of the matches and the conditions his players have faced during the tournament. "We played five matches in 14 days, and we have some injuries. The weather conditions were also difficult," he said, adding: "It is not easy to play against a team that relies on a low defensive block."
For his part, Saudi national team player Mohammed Kanno said reaching the final had been one of the Green Falcons' ambitions since the beginning of the tournament. "We have reached the final, and that was our ambition. God willing, we will win the tournament," he said.
On facing the UAE, Kanno said that the UAE national team is strong. We will follow the coach's instructions, and God willing, we will work to make our fans happy.
Kanno also expressed his hope that the final would be decided without going to a penalty shootout.
Penalty shootouts are a matter of luck. The most important thing is that we have reached the final. God willing, we will not go to penalties in the final and will settle the match, he noted.
